Building Bibliophilia | Engaging in the pleasure of making books

"Each material that goes into the making of something has a characteristic and unique emanation of which the artist must remain cognizant"― Richard Selzer

Building Bibliophilia is the beginning of an ongoing series of bookbinding workshops hosted and developed by artist and educator Alva Mooses and architect artist and fellow Troels Steenholdt Heiredal, in celebration of the many aspects of the book.

Through their mutual love of books Alva and Troels will develop a workshop series to revolve around the many different aspects of the book – the book as a work of art, as a vessel, as knowledge, as an archive, as structure, as an anti-rocking device, as a gathering of papers, as a thing, as an object and subject at the same time. The book has a capacity to reach across disciplines as no discipline can renounce the book which is what makes it such a universal object/subject.

This initial session of day-long workshops will act as an introduction to bookbinding and an opening of the subject, creating a space for participants to engage in the act of building books. All workshops will consist of a hands-on component, a talk/performance element and a communal dinner. The workshops are intended to become an ongoing series.

The first three individual workshops will be held on Saturdays in 2015 as listed below. Participants have the option to join part or all of the related events.

Introduction to Book Arts, Sept. 29th: Alva Mooses will teach the first workshop on hard-cover pamphlets and accordion structures, with a focus on artist books on September 19th.The relationship between printmaking, paper and book arts is integral to Cathleen’s work as an artist and educator. She was selected as the 2012 Artist-in-Residence at Columbia College’s Center for Book and Paper Arts and has taught bookbinding at The Cooper Union School of Art.Cathleen and Troels will also present an installation in conjunction with a talk & poetry reading.

Conservation, TBA: The second workshop will be on conservation. Details will be announced later this year and posted to the website.